Splendor in the Glass

Nationally renowned glassblower Ron Hinkle creates vibrant pieces that exemplify one of West Virginia’s dying arts.

Written by Dee Braley / Photos by Nikki Bowman

Just a few miles from Buckhannon at the end of a gravel road is a gallery brimming with an exquisite collection of vibrant glass. It might not be where one would expect to find a gallery like this, but this serene country setting is the location of the studio of one of West Virginia’s premier glassblowers—Ron Hinkle. And it is definitely worth the trip.

From a very young age, Ron’s family encouraged his creativity and artistic talents. An aunt who lived nearby taught him to paint with oils. He attended Farm Women’s Club with his mother, where the women created crafts, and his father taught him how to build and repair household and farm equipment. 

During his junior year in high school, Ron went to work at Louie Glass Company in Weston. Louie Glass, no longer in business, created fine crystal wine glasses, vases, and centerpieces. Ron worked on the production line using molds to create more than 1,000 pieces in one eight-hour shift. He was particularly captivated when he watched a paperweight being created with a flower inside the clear glass. So his supervisor, Jennings Bonnell, taught him the art of making paperweights. Within three to four years, Ron was making glass animals and other hand-blown items. He continued to work at Louis Glass and hone his glassblowing skills after he graduated from high school.

In 1993, Ron decided to establish his own glass studio, initially planning to be a supplier to gift shops. “It is the best of both worlds,” he says. “You get to figure out what to make and how to make a lot of it without being on a production line with a daily quota to produce.” He works side-by-side with his right-hand men—Richard Debar, a long-time friend and colleague from Louie Glass, and Scott Myler, a New Jersey transplant—to create products for both wholesale and retail sales. Today, Ron’s work is showcased in galleries across the nation.

Soon after he branched out on his own he built his own gallery, after a couple from Virginia drove up to his studio in search of his products. “I originally thought that my rural location might deter folks from coming, but that hasn’t been the case,” he says. Thirteen years later, a vast rainbow of colors, shapes, and designs, available in every price point, are displayed in the gallery that overlooks his childhood home. Large red signs help direct visitors from Sago Road to Ron’s Dying Arts Glassworks.

“The most popular items we sell are candy dishes, vases, and Christmas ornaments,” Ron says. “So we offer them in multiple shapes, sizes, and colors.” His gallery is overflowing with sparkling bowls, unique goblets, and vivid dishes. Some have tried to encourage Ron to move his studio and gallery to a more visible and high profile location, but he likes living and working in the country. “If I had a drastic increase in business, I couldn’t provide enough quality product,” he says. “Besides, I have a one-minute commute. Can’t beat that.”

Adjacent to the gallery is a functional, tidy workshop where his hand-blown glass is created. Fueled by propane gas, three firebrick-lined ovens are used to turn the raw materials into molten glass, to re-heat the glass while it is being shaped, and to slowly cool the final piece to prevent breakage. Anyone can stop by his studio and watch him transform molten glass into a kaleidoscope of color. “Small tour groups, women’s bible study groups, seniors, and passersby are always welcome,” he says.

Ron can explain the complex process of blowing glass in a simplistic, patient manner. “The glass batch, already mixed in powder and pellet form, comes from Germany, and then is heated to 2100 degrees,” he says as he begins the process by dipping a slender, hollow pipe into the molten glass. “This is called the gather, and at this stage the glass has the consistency of honey.”

Next, color is added by rolling the “gather” in colored chips of glass. Ron uses chips in 145 colors that are manufactured in Germany to bond well with the clear glass. The coated glass is “marvered” into a cylinder shape or twist on a slab of iron or graphite or by dipping it into an aluminum cup called an optic mold to create ridges. At this stage, the glass has the consistency of taffy. “I will sometimes create textures by using common items like a butter knife, or I’ll fabricate something from household items to create unique designs,” Ron explains. 

The glass is re-heated in the “glory hole” and turned continuously to ensure even heating. Next, it goes to the “gaffer’s bench” where the piece is rolled back and forth on a shaping block of cherry wood. A bubble is blown into the glass and manipulated into the general shape of the final product. The glass then hardens or cools to 1,000 degrees. Ron relies on experience to know when the glass has lost its glow and can be shaped. After the piece has been manipulated into its final shape. The item goes into a kiln where it slowly cools for several hours.

“Glass is infinite,” Ron says. “There are infinite possibilities for color and design. And then there are also patterns and designs that have been around forever. One of the patterns I use is called King Tut. This old pattern was used by Tiffany and Durand in art nouveau products.”

According to Ron, a glass blower always designs the product backwards. But sometimes serendipitous discoveries occur when a new design or color combination emerges from what some might consider an accident or mistake. Ron’s team analyzes these “accidents” to determine what caused the unexpected changes in the original design, and many times a new color combination or design is incorporated into the product line.

“The artist in me always gets excited to uncover a new design or color combination,” Ron says. “Sometimes you create a piece and you immediately know it is special.” One of Ron’s favorite pieces—a blown vase that emerged with a unique design that Ron calls “turmoil and explosions”—was created early on the morning of 9/11. 

“It was a beautiful morning, and we were working on a vase when we learned about the World Trade Center,” Ron recalls. “Like everyone, we were shocked. It was just unbelievable. But when you start a piece you can’t stop in the middle, you have to see it through. So we kept working. Then we learned about the plane hitting the Pentagon. My brother-in-law worked in the Pentagon. Later, we learned that my brother-in-law was killed that day.” He is keeping the piece for his niece who was born after her father’s death.    

Ron creates commissioned pieces such as personal sculptures, monolithic sculptures, and gifts for galas. Customers bring him swatches of colors and fabrics and he creates individualized pieces. Two of his commissions were hand-blown peaches for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and ornaments for White House Christmas trees.

Recently, Ron worked closely with the owner of a newly restored local building to create pendant lights for the soon-to-open restaurant. But he has also received some unusual requests. “The most unusual items I’ve created were tiny glass vials to be suspended on a necklace and designed to hold your significant other’s blood,” he says. “I’ve also created two-headed elephants.”

Ron is affiliated with two well-known West Virginia glass companies—Blenko Glass and Fenton Glass. He sells his pieces in Blenko’s gallery and demonstrates his work during the annual Blenko Collectors Days. His partnership with Fenton Glass includes demonstrations during Fenton’s Artistry Day and the marketing of two specially designed Fenton-Hinkle Christmas ornaments on QVC. According to Ron, affiliations like this allow glass makers to complement each other without competing.

His love for art is what makes glass intriguing to Ron. He connects the color and shape of hand-blown glass with emotion. “The final product is representative of all my skills accumulated over 35 years,” Ron says. “With each piece, I can hold a retrospect of my life in my hand.”

To visit Ron Hinkle’s Gallery and Studio, take I-79 to Route 33 east to the Buckhannon exit. Then follow Route 20 south 5 miles to Sago Road, and follow the signs. The gallery is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Demonstrations are held Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit www.ronhinkleglass.com for more information.

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